Frequently Asked Questions

We assume that the typical DIYer doesn't have time to go out and do a lot of reading on every system in his car. Rather than keep adding more and more data, configurable in more and more ways, we went to mechanic shops to find out what typically goes wrong with cars today and what can be fixed in a driveway.

Then we put together a tool that:

Includes instructions on every screen so that you don't have to learn it all over again every time you take it out of the box.

Adds a Diagnostic Wizard that guides you through diagnosing the most common problems. The parameters used in the guides are automatically shown with no configuration. There are also examples of what the parameters should look like on a graph.

All 1996 and newer OBDII compliant vehicles are supported. You can determine if a vehicle is OBDII compliant by checking the emission compliance sticker either under the hood or on the drivers door pillar.

Any PC with a Pentium 1GHz processor (or equivalent) running Microsoft Windows 2000 SP4, Windows XP SP3, Windows Vista SP1, or Windows 7 (32 or 64 bit) will run AutoTap software. At least 1GB RAM is recommended, and 250 MB of hard drive space is required. A CD drive is required to install the software and a USB port is needed to connect to the AutoTap hardware. AutoTap is not available for Mac.

Our v3 AutoTap hardware (red units with the vehicle connector built into the hardware) will support this software. These are AutoTap models ATU and ATS, and the Express DIY software can be added to these products.

OBD stands for On Board Diagnostics. The “II” signifies the version of the OBD specification being used. OBD’s roots go all the way back to early 1970’s. In order to combat smog problems in LA, the EPA started requiring car manufacturers to provide emission control systems on the vehicles they manufactured. In 1988 a set of standards was developed by the SAE (Society of Automotive Engineers) including a standard connector plug and set of diagnostic test signals. This was OBDI.

OBD II is a more sophisticated standard that was introduced in the mid-'90s. It monitors parts of the chassis, body and accessory devices, as well as the diagnostic control network of the car. On-Board Diagnostic systems are in all 1996 and newer cars and light trucks.